Only Secrets Keep Us Apart
by Myth Queen
Summary: AU. Twenty years after Gamora left the Guardians without a word, Peter and Groot are all that are left of the team. But when they find Gamora again, Peter learns exactly why she left in the first place. And he doesn't know if he can ever forgive her for the secret she has kept from him. Gamora/Peter. Happy Birthday Emma!
1. Prologue

Peter grinned as he led Rocket, Groot and Drax back to the Milano. It had been a successful day! They had spread the fame of "The Guardians of the Galaxy" to yet another world – this time, they even managed to make it about mostly good things. While it was true that they _were_ sticking to the law these days, that didn't make them popular.

That was changing, though, as they had just rescued over one hundred domesticated baby gichercaws from trees. It had cost them all a few scratches, unsurprisingly most on Rocket, but Drax and Groot had hit it off with the scaly little creatures, so much so that it had taken a bit of a fight to make them leave them behind.

"Gamora," Peter called as he walked onto the Milano. She had excused herself from the PR stunt, claiming allergies. To be truthful, Peter thought she just wanted a little bit of time to herself. "Gamora, we're back."

Silence greeted him. Peter frowned, jogging to the cockpit while Drax and Groot argued with Rocket over whether the gichercaws were cute little pets or demonic monsters. Not finding Gamora, Peter then went to the "library," which was where Groot spent most of his time. Nowhere. Last, he checked the quarters they all had to share (since there wasn't enough room for them each to have their own room. Nothing.

"Hey, have you guys seen Gamora?" he asked, returning to his shipmates. "I can't find her anywhere."

"She probably snuck out to get a bite to eat or something," Rocket said, shrugging. "She does her own thing. She'll be back before you know it."

"I am Groot," the little waist-high tree said, nodding.

Peter stifled a sigh. They were probably right. He had wanted to leave, though. It was time to move on to the next planet on their tour. Building a positive reputation took a lot of work. He returned to their quarters, planning to get a little shut-eye. When he laid down, though, something crinkled under his pillow. It was a piece of paper with Gamora's writing on it.

 _Peter. I know you're going to be angry with me for not telling you in person, but I'm leaving. The life of a hero is not for me. Goodbye._

Blood rushed in Peter's ears. He stared at the short note, reading it again and again. It couldn't be true. Gamora wouldn't just leave like this. Something must have happened – Thanos. He jerked to his feet.

 _Goodbye._

 _No,_ he vowed. _No, I am not giving up on you like this. I am going to find you, Gamora._ He would find her. However long it took.


	2. Chapter 1

The Milano set down on a rocky shore beside a blue-purple lake. Peter Quill sat for a moment, staring out of the window. He shook his head and ran a hand through his greying hair as he stood. He was tired. For nearly twenty years now, he had been running around the galaxy, doing his best to stop villains from killing people. He succeeded in most cases, but had lost things far more precious.

"I am Groot." His old friend put a hand on his shoulder.

Peter nodded. "I'm fine. I think it's time to retire, though."

"I am Groot?"

"I don't know." Peter stretched the kinks from his back and pulled on his old Ravanger's jacket. The thing was full of holes, most of them from weapons, and really it was a piece of junk, but since Yondu's death, it had taken on a strange comforting role to him. "Maybe get a little farm. Just stop being Star Lord and start being Peter Quill again. Maybe I'll go back to earth."

Groot's head hung as Pete walked past him. "I am Groot."

Peter paused. "You don't have to stay with me. You could go out and have your own adventures. Go find a she-tree and make little baby trees."

"I am Groot."

"I didn't catch that one."

Groot shrugged, and the two headed out of the Milano. It had been just the two of them for five years now, since Rocket had died, an elderly and long-lived racoon. He had been snarky and sarcastic until the very end. His last words to Peter were, "Try not to get yourself killed without me." Drax had disappeared some years before that. In a drunken rage one night he vowed to kill Thanos and took off before the others could stop him. They hadn't heard or seen anything of him since, and Peter could only assume he was dead.

As for Gamora? Well. He had heard enough rumours to know that she was alive, and that Thanos hadn't gotten his hands on her again. And once he knew that, he knew that she was serious about not wanting to be with him anymore, and stopped looking for her.

"So what do you want to do, buddy?" Peter asked to get his mind off their missing companions. "Wanna go do something important, or just get a drink at the bar?"

Groot frowned. He tapped Peter's head. "I am Groot."

"So what if I haven't had food yet today? They serve food at bars."

"I am Groot."

Peter smiled at his friend and slapped him on the back. "Alright. You win. No bars. Now, let's see if we can keep a low profile here, okay? I don't want to be hounded by people looking for their lost pets, or local gangs assuming we're here to shut them down. Just a nice, off-the-radar visit to a nice, off-the-radar planet."

Groot smiled and nodded. The two of them headed out onto the new world. It was a well-known place for refugees to end up on, this world, known by different names in all corners of the galaxy. Personally, Peter liked Greenworld the best. It was just so plain and unimaginative! The name made it sound unassuming and simple. As he and Groot walked through the streets, he saw species of all shapes, colours and configurations. Groot turned a few heads, but nobody stared, which meant they got all sorts of strange ones around.

Peter slowly relaxed, thumbing the old Walkman in his pocket. It had broken down ages ago, and he had never bothered to fix it or build a new one. There was just something about his mom's awesome mix that never felt right after Gamora left. If he was honest with himself, it was a relief that the old thing broke. He still carried it around with him, though, as a reminder.

At a street vender, Peter bought Groot and himself some sort of deep-fried batter. As they continued along, a young woman with her eyes glued on a holopad in her hands bumped into him. She looked up, startled.

"I'm sorry!" She stumbled a little and Peter gripped her arm to keep her steady. She smiled. There was once a time that a smile like that would turn his head.

"Maybe you should pay attention to where you're going," Peter told her crossly.

"Of course." The woman nodded. Black tousled curls fell into her face, and there was something hauntingly familiar about her blue eyes. She gave him another grin. "Say, it's not every day that I meet a Guardian of the Galaxy."

"I am Groot," Groot said sadly.

Peter nodded. "I hear you. Look, we're not exactly on our Gaurdianing tour right now, so could you just keep it to yourself?"

Her skin was a pale shade of green; too pale for a skrull; or maybe she was half-skrull. She tilted her head to one side and nodded seriously. "Whatever you wish, Star Lord."

"Peter," he corrected. "My name is Peter Quill."

She nodded again. Her hand gripped his elbow, and she moved closer. "Peter, then. Do you have a place to stay while you're here?"

Peter pulled away. "Not funny," he said, keeping his voice as firm as possible. "I'm old enough to be your father. You shouldn't be hitting on random men you don't know, anyway."

The woman laughed. "Really? Because from what I've heard, you've done a lot of hitting on random women you don't know. So is this a you're a man and I'm a woman and my sexual purity is my virtue, while your virility is yours?"

"No, it's an it's stupid thing to do, and I was very stupid in my younger years," Peter snapped back. "Take it from me. Not worth it. When you get to my age, all those trysts mean nothing. So how about you just take life more seriously and don't waste your time on flings that will only hurt you in the end."

"That sounds very bitter," the woman observed, unfazed. "But for your information, I wasn't suggesting that you come stay in my bed. I'm not attracted to fatherly figures. I merely was curious about where you were staying. I think my mother would like to meet you."

Peter rolled his eyes, although her spunk made him grin. "So you're setting me up with your mother?"

"Something like that. She'll be getting worried about me by this time, though, so I'd better head home." She smiled again and turned away. "If she wants to see you, we'll find you!"

"I'm sure you will," Peter muttered.

"I am Groot."

Peter shook himself and faced his friend. "I didn't understand that one."

Groot shrugged, and was distracted by another vender serving what looked like powered rats. His eyes lit up and he pointed excitedly, grinning back at Peter. Peter couldn't help but grin back. For all that had happened to them, Groot at least managed to stay happy. Maybe it was because his mind was small and didn't understand things, or maybe it was because he was really very wise and knew how to view happiness in a universe full of pain.

Peter reached for his wallet. And found nothing. Swearing loudly, he patted all his pockets. Empty. All of them. Swearing again, he searched the crowd in the direction that the woman had gone in. He saw nothing, but started after her anyway. Nobody picked his pocket and got away with it!

"I am Groot?"

Peter didn't reply; it should be obvious that Groot couldn't have a powdered rat! He ran as hard as he could, which was admittedly not as fast as he was twenty years ago. He left the market behind quickly, and found himself in most-deserted streets. Slowing to a walk, he looked around. She could have gone anywhere!

"Stupid!" He kicked a wall viciously. "Stupid, stupid, stupid. Groot!"

Groot stopped by his side, looking around. "I am Groot?"

"We lost our money. Back to the ship, we've got to figure this out." Peter turned, and as he did so several people stepped out onto the street in front of him. He tensed, taking in their blasters and knives. Great. Just what he needed. Some wannabe gangster types trying to mug him for money he didn't have. He held out his hands. "Hey, maybe you heard me, but I don't have any money. I just got robbed."

"What makes you think we want money?" the leader, a Kree, eyed him. "You don't recognise me, do you Star Lord?"

"My name is Peter, and no. I can't say I do." Peter narrowed his eyes. The Kree was heavily scarred. Burns. One eye was white, and the left side of his mouth drooped, like it had been melted. "I'm guessing we met at some point, though, judging by the way you're toying with that knife. Let me guess. I ruined your life?"

The Kree laughed. "I am going to enjoy killing you."

Peter rolled his eyes. "I have heard that before. Honestly, maybe you should just put down the knife and let us pass. See my friend? He's known as the tree of death in some parts."

Groot snarled, spines sprouting from his shoulders. His mass increased dramatically, which made the men blocking their path back up a step. Except for the Kree, who laughed.

"Not much good against fire though." He reached into his belt and pulled out a grenade. "Ready to go boom, Star Lord?"

"Peter, and seriously? You carry around grenades?" Pete shook his head in disbelief. "You know, go ahead. Whatever. I am sick and tired of people constantly wanting to kill me, so congratulations. You get to! It'd be doing me a favour!"

"I am Groot."

Peter whirled on him. "I don't care!"

There was a thump against Peter's boot. He looked down to see the grenade. Instantly he closed his eyes, waiting for the blast – but it didn't come. A strangled yelp made him open his eyes again. The woman from before was among the bandits. The Kree who had held the grenade was on the ground, eyes bulging, clutching his throat. Peter's jaw dropped as the grabbed the wrist of another bandit and kneed him in the elbow, making the man scream.

"A little help!" she shouted.

Peter shook himself out of his shock and jumped forward. He slammed a palm to the closest man's nose, then jabbed him in the chest twice with sharp punches. Groot roared and charged, knocking five of them off their feet. A fist came for Peter's face, but he dodged, the result being the punch landed on another assailant.

"This way!" the woman said, tugging on Peter's sleeve. They punched a man in unison and dodged down an alley. Groot thundered after them.

"Back to my ship," Peter said, grabbing her hand.

She yanked him left when he made to go right. "Nope."

Peter opened his mouth to argue, but she did have his Walkman, and she probably had a safe place closer, so he swallowed his protest and allowed her to pull him along. He was out of breath by the time they arrived, and they had taken so many turns that he was completely lost.

As he gasped for breath, Peter viewed the house the woman had led him to. It was big enough to four or five rooms on the inside. A clothesline hung outside, and brightly patterned dresses and shirts billowed in the wind. Smoke curled from the chimney, and all in all, it looked pretty cozy. In need of some repairs, if the cardboard in the windows were anything to go by, and a new paint job, but cozy.

Peter straightened, and after checking to make sure Groot was okay, he turned to the woman. "Thank you. I think you saved my butt back there."

"I know I did," she replied swiftly. "Most of those men have the death sentence on one planet or another. A dangerous place to get yourself lost in."

Peter smiled wryly. "Fair enough. So who exactly are you?"

"My name's Maddox. Call me Maddie and I'll rip out your tongue," she said pleasantly. "And now that you're here, you should meet my mom. Mom," she called over her shoulder. "We have visitors!"

The door opened, and a tired voice answered. "Maddox, who have you—"

Peter's jaw dropped. He felt like he couldn't breathe, and he couldn't do anything but stare. Her hair was greying, like his, but other than that and a few wrinkles, she hadn't changed. Gamora took a deep breath and closed the door to her house behind her.

"Hello, Peter."


	3. Chapter 2

After about half an hour of trying to pry Groot from giving happy hugs to Gamora, Peter finally managed to convince him that instead of smothering their old friend, he should spend some time with Maddox and get a feeling of what was around, in case they needed to make a quick escape. Maddox had taken Groot's hand and pulled him away with a cheeky grin that made her look five years younger.

Peter let out a breath after they left. Gamora sat on a log next to a pit of ashes, watching him closely. He paced from the clothesline to the road and back again, trying to find the right words.

"Gamora," he said eventually. "It's been a while."

"Yes, it has."

"You know, for years I thought that Thanos had managed to capture you back into his custody. I lay awake at night, trying not to imagine what he was doing to you, because I knew if I started thinking about it, I'd never be able to stop. It would paralyse me and then I'd never find you." He stopped pacing and glared at her. "You couldn't give us a call, tell us you were okay? You just had that one cryptic message as a goodbye. After everything we had been together? After everything we had _started_?"

Gamora stared at him, impassive, and didn't say a word.

He sat on the log beside her, feeling drained. His eyes burned, but didn't water. Of that he was grateful, at least. "Why did you leave, Gamora? If you had given some explanation besides just taking off, then maybe… maybe it wouldn't have been so hard."

"Peter, I couldn't explain. I was afraid. I didn't hardly understand what was happening myself."

"What was happening?"

Gamora took a deep breath. "My circuitry was acting up. Glitches that were making me act abnormally. I thought Thanos was hacking me through these implants. I thought if I didn't leave, he'd make me kill you and the others."

"No." Peter shook his head. "Don't lie to me, Gamora. If that had been the case, you would have told us. Rocket was a whiz with all things tech, and he'd have been able to fix you up."

Gamora was silent for a long moment. "How did he die?"

"Old age."

She nodded. "And Drax?"

Peter shrugged. "After we came to the conclusion that you had indeed left on your own accord, he kind of went crazy. Decided to go after Thanos himself."

Gamora winced. "Did you find his body?"

Peter shook his head. "Are you going to tell me why you left or not?"

It was time for Gamora to stand and start pacing. One hand ran through her hair, while the other beat a pattern on the handle of the knife she had stuck into her belt. After a moment, she stopped and turned to face him. Her mouth was set in a grim line and her eyes focused on him. Peter's insides knotted and his throat went dry.

"It wasn't anything that you did, Peter. It was me. It was all me." Gamora took a deep breath. "You remember the night we were together?"

"Yeah." Peter nodded. "Did I scare y—"

"I just said it wasn't anything you had done. Peter, our protection… failed."

Peter stared at her. "What do you mean? We used an energy field—"

"Which I didn't turn on. I thought I had, but I didn't. It wasn't activated. I didn't say anything at the time, because I didn't think I could get pregnant. When I grew up, all my sisters underwent operations the moment Thanos brought them into his service. I assumed that I had gone through the same thing, to prevent me from ever bearing children."

"But you were wrong. You have a daughter," Peter said, his voice calm. He already knew where this was going, but he wanted to hear what Gamora was going to say. He didn't want to believe that she could do that to him, to hide something like this from him.

"I was wrong. When I realised I was pregnant, I panicked. I thought that you wouldn't want a child. I thought that if Thanos found out he'd hunt us even more ruthlessly. And… And I wasn't sure I was going to keep it. Even if I did, I wasn't going to commit myself to you because of a mistake."

Peter stood. His hands clenched. "Maddox is my daughter."

"Maddox is your daughter."

Peter turned and stormed away. He had only gone a few yards when he turned on his heel and came back at her. "You should have told me."

Gamora stared back at him, emotionless. "Perhaps I should have. But think back twenty years, Peter. If I had told you, you would have stuck around a little while, you would have been all bright futures and happy dreams, and then you would have gotten scared. Either I would have returned one day to find you with another woman, or I would have returned one day to find you gone. I wasn't going to tie my fate with somebody who couldn't be bothered to double check to make sure—"

"So it is my fault," Peter replied, hands shaking. "Because I thought you'd be smart enough to use basic technology?"

"I'd never used one before! I told you as much, and you were all "it's simple" and the way you said it made me so embarrassed that I wasn't sure I had done it right that I—"

"And you assumed that I would abandon you, abandon my child?"

Gamora shook her head and turned away. Peter tried to calm himself. This wasn't going to get anywhere, unless they both calmed down. He didn't want to calm down, though. Gamora had betrayed his trust. He deserved the right to know he had a daughter. She had assumed the worst of him, and didn't even give him the chance to prove her wrong.

"You didn't even give me the chance. My father abandoned me, why would you think that I would do the same?"

"Go away, Peter. I left for a reason, and I stayed away for a reason. I don't need you."

"So that's why Maddox deliberately targeted Groot and me, trying to draw us here. Trying to bring you and me back together. Her parents."

"Maddox only knows the best side of you," Gamora replied. "I told her that Thanos drove us apart, that I had to run for your protection. I didn't want her to grow up hating her father."

"Hating you, you mean."

Peter couldn't even look at her anymore. He turned on his heel and walked away without another word. Gamora didn't call after him, and he was glad of it.

#

It took several hours, but Peter eventually fond Groot and Maddox. They were in a field, throwing a ball back and forth. Groot grinned and waved when he saw Peter, and bounded over to him. Pointing at Maddox, he announced proudly, "I am Groot!"

Peter grinned back at him. "I'm glad you made a new friend. But we have to go now, Groot."

Groot's face fell. "I am Groot?"

"No, Gamora and I didn't have a good talk. We had a bad talk. We're not leaving the planet, but I need somebody to talk to."

Maddox came to stand beside Groot. "You can't talk to me?"

Peter studied her for a minute. Her gaze held his steadily, and he shook his head. "No, I can't." He couldn't tell Gamora's daughter what he was thinking about her mother at this time. Whatever had happened between the two of them didn't need to interfere Maddox's relationship with her mother. At this point, it would probably do more harm to his relationship with her, anyway.

Maddox tilted her head to one side, narrowing her eyes. She suddenly cut loose a colorful stream of swear words, and Peter's brow arched in surprise. "Excuse me?"

"She told you. I can't believe she told you! It would have been a much better idea just to keep silent for a while, ease into it, instead of just saying, 'Hi Peter, you have a daughter that I never told you about!' What is _wrong_ with her?" Maddox threw her hands into the air and shook her head.

"I am Groot."

"Groot's right. You shouldn't talk that way about your mother," Peter said. He sighed and ran a hand over his hair. "Gamora was answering a question that I need answered, and this was the only way she could answer it. Now, Groot and I have to go back to the ship—"

"Do you still have the Milano? Can I see it?" Maddox clasped her hands together.

"Yeah. Later."

Maddox nodded. "So you can get back to your ship by yourself?"

Peter instantly saw her point. He really had no idea how to get back to the Milano without her directions. A wry smile crossed his face and he nodded. "Alright. Show us the way back to the ship and I'll give you a tour of it. But then you have to go home to Gamora before she starts worrying."

Maddox nodded her agreement. She led them through the streets, and in a few minutes Peter recognised a few of the buildings. He nodded in satisfaction when the Milano came into view.

"You promised a tour remem—" Maddox suddenly froze. She stopped dead, going rigid. Her hands started to shake, and her eyes rolled up into the back of her head. Peter caught her as she collapsed.

"Maddox!" He lowered he gently to the ground, trying to keep from jostling her too much. "Maddox, wake up. Come on."

His heart pounded, but she wasn't thrashing around, just trembling a little. Her eyes moved rapidly under her lids, like she was having a nightmare. Groot bent over, making worried noises. Peter put a hand on his shoulder to reassure him.

A laser blast whizzed over his right ear. Peter's head jerked up to see the Kree from earlier in the day walking towards him. Peter cursed and began to draw his weapon, but the next shot hit it, sending the blaster skidding away. It blew up in a shower of sparks.

"Groot, get Maddox," Peter yelled.

He rolled away, drawing the fire towards him. Groot scooped Maddox up and ran towards the Milano. Peter dodged a few blasts and ran after them. With lasers zipping by on both sides, they raced to the ship and up the gangplank. Peter closed the doors behind him, and dashed to the cockpit. Soon they were airborne, leaving the Kree, and the planet, far behind.

He set autopilot and went back to the loading bay, where Groot still cradled Maddox.

"Is she alright?" Peter asked.

"I am Groot."

"Good." Peter sighed in relief. "Come on. Put her in one of the beds. We're leaving."

Groot's eyes widened. "I am Groot?"

"What about Gamora?" Peter said roughly. "She abandoned us."

"I am Groot!"

Peter winced. "You're right. I'm sorry." He looked at Maddox and rubbed the back of his neck. "We'll go back down when she's awake and can direct us to land somewhere closer to Gamora's house."

Groot put a hand on his shoulder. "I am Groot."

"Yeah, I'm sure she's alright too. That Kree was after us, not her." He tried to ignore the voice that told him that if the Kree had a vendetta against him, he probably had a vendetta against Gamora, too.

#

"I swear I don't know!"

Gamora ignored the Kree's screams as she slowly extracted the last of his fingernails. She dabbed at the wound with a solution that made him scream again, but stopped the bleeding. "I'm going to ask you one more time. What did you do to my daughter?"

"I didn't do anything." The Kree writhed in his restraints. "That man, Star Lord, he took her!"

The sound of a ship's engine made her look up. The Milano glided over her house and landed in the nearby field. Gamora finished off the Kree, and raced towards the ship as it landed. She would kill him. Taking her daughter away from her? She would make him bleed!

The gangplank lowered, and Gamora raced inside. She met Peter soon enough. He opened his mouth, and she shut him up with her knuckles to his mouth. Her skin split from the force of meeting his teeth. Peter fell back, making a strangled yelp. She followed him down, hands grasping at his throat.

"You _never_ take my daughter away from me again! I'll kill you, I swear I will!"

"Mom!"

Gamora scrambled to her feet. She dashed to Maddox's side, cupping her face. "Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

"Mom, I'm fine. Honestly, I'm fine. But I won't be much longer." Maddox gripped her arms, and Gamora saw the blue lines streaking the whites of her eyes that indicated she had had a vision. "Mom, Thanos is coming for us."


	4. Chapter 3

"Are you sure this is a good idea, sister?"

Gamora ignored the snide voice that came from her ship's speakers, instead concentrating on docking her small two-person ship against the Milano. Peter was holding the ship steady in an outer orbit of the planet. Her ship was just too small and run-down to make an effective run from Thanos, but she couldn't leave it behind. With her custom adjustments to the shields, she'd be able to expand it over both ships to keep hers from tearing from the Milano while they were in flight.

"Gamora, there is no use in ignoring me. You know I can stop you in an instant." The communication screen flickered to life, showing Nebula's frowning face.

"I don't have time to discuss this with you, Nebula," Gamora told her. "Thanos is coming, and even if you don't have a body anymore he can still torture you."

"Not as badly as he would torture you," Nebula replied, smirking. "Besides, I'd self-destruct before he even got the chance to realise I was here."

Gamora gently landed her ship against the Milano and activated the docking gear. The two ships stuck together, and after typing in a few commands, the two now-empty escape pod airlocks joined together, creating a passage between the two ships. Gamora sighed, leaning back. That had gone off without a hitch but that didn't mean she and Peter could live in the same area for any length of time. There were too many years between them. She didn't even know him anymore. For Maddox's sake, though, she would be civilized and try to be understanding. She knew she had a lot to apologise for, but wasn't sure she was ready to do that yet.

"Gamora, I know that face." Nebula's virtual expression softened. Since she had lost her body, Nebula had become much more mellow. The two had been raised and trained together, and despite Nebula's former jealousy, they still maintained a certain bond. After Nebula had thrown in her lot with Gamora and Maddox, that bond had only grown.

Gamora turned away from the screen, but given that Nebula was the living computer of the ship, she had all the sensory information she needed to figure out Gamora's emotions.

"You've kept up with Peter's adventures," Nebula continued. "He's remained a good man. You'll be fine."

"It's not me I'm worried about, really."

"Maddox?"

Gamora nodded. "She has put Peter on a pedestal, and I don't want her to be disappointed if he doesn't live up to the expectations she has for her father. And if he does, then how am I going to keep them apart? I don't think Peter and I can live together, so that means Maddox is going to have to choose between us."

"And you think she'll choose Peter?" Nebula snorted. "Gamora, don't be an idiot. Saying that she's going to have to choose makes it seem like she can't have both of you in her life. You don't even need to live together, you'll just have to have contact every once in a while."

"I don't want to talk about this anymore."

Nebula grunted. "Fine."

Gamora took a deep breath and stood. Bidding farewell to her sister, she slipped through the airlock connecting her to the Milano. Groot was waiting to greet her, and gave her a hug. She patted his back, responding to his "I am Groot" assuming it meant that he was glad to see her.

As she walked the familiar rooms, memories rushed back at her. She had loved her life here, while it lasted. There were many happy memories, from wrapping everything in gift paper when Drax was feeling down because he had missed a religious ceremony, to purposefully taking in metaphors to irritate him. Gamora touched a little robot that Rocket had stolen her holopad to build, then smiled at the string of "paintings" Groot had done of their group.

By the time she got to the cockpit, she was feeling thoroughly nostalgic. Tears filled her eyes as she tried not to think about the fact that she had never gotten to say goodbye to Rocket, or that if she was here, maybe she could have stopped Drax from going after Thanos. If she had stayed, her life could have been completely different. So would Maddox's.

Maddox was in the cockpit with Peter, sitting in Gamora's old chair. Peter was showing her a magic trick, and Maddox was watching his hands carefully, brow furrowed. Groot, coming in behind Gamora, gave a cry of delight and hunkered down to watch.

"I remember this one," Gamora said, putting a hand on her daughter's shoulder. "There's something about the thumb."

"Don't tell me," Maddox said. "I want to figure it out myself."

Nebula's voice came through the speakers, coughing lightly. "Are you done playing or are we going to leave before Thanos comes and I have to kill you all?"

Peter jumped to his feet, drawing his blaster in one fluid method. "What the—"

"Aunt Neb!" Maddox's surprise echoed Gamora's. "How are you in here?"

"I am Groot!"

"The ships are connected. It didn't take much to bridge the controls. I have to say, this place is far more roomy than your ship, Gamora." Nebula grinned. "And it has security banks. Peter, you should take off your shirt more often."

Peter stared at the screen that showed Nebula's face. He turned to Gamora. "How?"

Gamora bit her lip. "Groot, can you take Maddox and show her around the ship?"

"Mom, I've already seen—"

"Can you please?" Gamora's voice was tense, and she narrowed her eyes at her daughter, who frowned but nodded. She took Groot's hand and pulled him out of the cockpit. Gamora turned to Nebula, who smirked. The screen blinked out, but Gamora had the feeling she was still watching.

Peter folded his arms. "I'm waiting."

"After I left, Nebula tracked me down. She was going to kill me at first, then she decided to turn me over to Thanos." Gamora sat down, rubbing the thin scars over her arms, where Nebula had sliced neatly into her skin when she was feeling particularly spiteful. "We ended up crashing on a planet filled with these lizard-like creatures that were constantly attacking us. We had to stick together in order to survive. I was pregnant at the time, and when Nebula found out, she…"

Peter nodded, encouraging her to continue. Gamora frowned, uncertain how to say what happened next.

"She mocked me at first, and then she figured out why…" Gamora repressed a shiver. "Why Thanos let me keep the ability to bear children while taking it away from my sisters."

"Which was?"

"Not something I am going to talk to you about." Gamora's voice was sharper than she intended, but she didn't take the time to apologise. "I don't exactly know why, but it was then that her whole personality changed. It was she became a different person. Not so angry, not so spiteful. She stopped trying to hurt me simply for the sake of hurting me. And that was that. We used to be very close as children. She used to sneak me extra food, and I would give her my blanket at night, since I could handle the cold better. It was like that again, the two of us united. Maddox and I both wouldn't have survived labour if it weren't for her."

Peter nodded slowly. "That doesn't tell me how she's part of my ship now."

Gamora tugged the ends of her hair, shivering as she remembered Nebula's slow death. "Let's just say that her body was irreparably damaged, and we had to transfer her consciousness into my ship's computer in order for her to survive in any form. Many of her more damaging memories did not survive the transfer."

Leaning back, Peter blew out his breath and rubbed his eyes. For a long time, he was silent. It was quite a lot of information to wrap his head around, Gamora mused. She grasped the arms of her chair as the Milano suddenly leapt into space.

"Couldn't wait any longer," Nebula trilled over the speakers. "And you might want to save your soul-searching discussion for a more private time."

"I don't like this," Peter muttered. "Memories gone or no memories gone, she's still Nebula, and she has taken over my ship." He glared around at the speakers and screens for a while, but since Nebula didn't respond, he turned his attention back to Gamora. "So. Maddox has visions?"

Gamora nodded, grateful he had decided to accept Nebula's presence, at least for now. "Yes. They started when she was very young, and are usually linked to Thanos, or at least Thanos trying to find us."

"Why does she have visions, exactly?"

"I don't know. I've gone to ever person I trust to see if they have theories. The only thing I can think of that makes sense is that Thanos did something to my DNA that got activated in her." Gamora glanced down the hallway. "I worry about it. We don't know what's it's caused from, or how it effects her mind and brain."

Peter put a hand over hers. "Look, whatever it does, I'm sure it's nothing. She's got you for a mother, after all. She's gotta be as tough as nails."

Gamora smiled at the compliment. "And she has you for a father."

"Which is where she gets her smouldering good looks."

"And her recklessness," Gamora shot back. Peter's eyes darkened, but Gamora continued before he could interrupt. "And he good heart. Her quick wit. Her blue eyes."

Peter squeezed her hand. "I guess that's a good trade-off for being reckless."

Gamora pulled her hand away. "Did you ever find your father?"

"Nope. Stopped looking. If he'd really cared about me, he should have come to earth and picked me up himself instead of sending thugs after me." Peter stood and stretched out his back. "And what about you? What has your life been like?"

That was a question she didn't want to answer. Gamora walked to the front of the cockpit, staring out at the blur of stars. How could she put into words what she had been through since she left? He'd ask why she didn't come back, and she had no answer for that. Well, no good answer. She had her reasons for staying away, but now, sitting in the Milano with Peter again, they all seemed to be hollow and pale.

"Peter, I'm sorry for leaving the way I did."

He did not respond.

"And I'm sorry for never telling you about Maddox. I'm sorry for assuming the worst of you, and I'm sorry that my fears, judging, whatever it was, kept you from your daughter for twenty years. You deserved to know. You deserved to have the choice to be part of her life."

"You're right." Peter came up behind her. "I did. And I'm not ready to forgive you just yet, Gamora. But I want to put this behind us, and I want to start something new."

Gamora turned, hardly believing her ears. "I can't love you again, Peter."

"So what?" his voice was rough. "I don't care about our relationship, Gamora." He winced and shook his head. "I didn't mean that."

"What did you mean then?" Gamora's fists clenched.

"I mean I don't expect you and me to have the kind of relationship that we used to. But I want us to be friends, and I want a relationship with my daughter – I do not want to take her from you." Peter hesitated a moment. "And I'm sorry that I was going to."

Gamora nodded. She had suspected, when Peter had landed next to her house in the Milano, that he had nearly taken Maddox and left her behind. He had changed his mind, though, and that was what she focused on. "For that you are forgiven."

Peter's brow furrowed, but he nodded.

"Nebula, where are we going?" Gamora asked.

"Don't know," her sister's snarky voice replied. "Just away. But do me a favor. If you two are going to start making out, let me know first. That's not something I want to see."

Gamora laughed, even as her face warmed. Peter shook his head.

"She has changed," he muttered. "I'm going to go find Groot and Maddox. I…"

Gamora waited, but he didn't say anything else. She wrapped her arms around herself as he left the cockpit. Well. At least she knew she could have a civilized conversation with Peter. And she knew that he wasn't going to forgive her any time soon, but he wanted a friendly relationship. That would have to do, for now.


	5. Chapter 4

The third day the odd group had been traveling in space, Peter went to the cockpit and found Groot sitting in the pilot's chair. Lights had been strung through his branchy crown, and garlands were draped around his shoulders and woven through his arms. He turned and smiled at Peter.

"I am Groot!"

"Uh huh." Peter stared. "Maddox must be bored."

He cautiously approached the living tree, peering at the peculiar getup. It reminded him of something, but he couldn't quite place it. Was it the time they had both gotten drunk on Hala and woke up dressed as dancing girls? Or was that on Ankara? Those times were just a little fuzzy. The lights, though. What were they from?

Maddox came bustling into the cockpit, carrying an armful of toilet paper. She deposited on the co-pilot's chair and grinned at Peter. "I couldn't find the whatchamacallit, streamy things. We'll have to make do with this stuff."

Peter blinked at her. "What are you doing?"

"Decorating!"

"Why?"

Maddox's smile faded. "Wait, you don't know?"

Peter shook his head.

"Oh." Maddox picked up one toilet paper roll and bounced it from hand to hand. "Well, I guess this is a little awkward, then. So when Mom told me you were from Terra, I looked up their customs. There was a holiday called Christmas Hanukah that's around this time in their calendar, and I thought it'd be nice to celebrate it."

"Christmas."

Peter looked back at Groot, and he remembered what the bedecked look reminded him of. Christmas on earth, with his mom and grandpa. Sitting under a large, green fir tree that was strung with colorful lights and silvery garlands, delicate glass balls and special family ornaments hanging from the branches. Brightly wrapped presents that he just itched to open. The smell of turkey. His mom's smile as she told him to be patient.

"I am Groot?"

Peter wiped the moisture from his eyes. "Yeah, I'm fine. I just haven't thought about Christmas in years."

Maddox bit her lip. She dropped the toilet paper back to the seat. "Oh."

Pete winced. "It was a nice thought, but—"

"But I got the name wrong." Maddox waved her hand at him. "I should have done more research. I get that. Mom always says I act before I think, and that I don't put enough time in learning the situation before I act. I'll put these away."

Peter had to smile at the way she deflected the uncomfortable feelings of remorse that had arisen in him. She really was a little master at that, he had found in their three days together. Whenever he and Gamora were in the same room and things started getting tense, she managed to change the mood instantly. He really was grateful to her for that, although if he and Gamora ever needed a really serious talk they'd have to find a way to deflect Maddox.

"Hey, you've already decorated Groot," Peter said, taking some of the toilet paper rolls from his daughter. "These may not be the best Christmas decorations, but I remember one cherished tradition called Pranks that my family did every year at Christmastime."

Maddox rose a brow. "Liar."

"Ok, so it was a year-round thing and it wasn't so much tradition as it was me getting into trouble, but what do you say we go paper your mom's bunk?"

Nebula's image flickered unexpectedly onto the screen, making Peter jump. He still wasn't used to her hanging out in his ship, controlling his ship, and popping in whenever she felt like it. Still, he had found her personality strikingly different from the Nebula he had known, and she was quite helpful at time, as much as he hated to admit it.

"Now would be a good time for pranking Gamora," she told them. "She's busy trying to fix the communications on her ship. Although, might I suggest a nice juicy gahmiberry under her pillow? She likes to tuck her hands under her pillow just when she's about to go to sleep, and her reaction would be hilarious."

Peter frowned. "I don't know about that. She and I are still trying to feel our way in this new relationship. I mean, papering her bunk is one thing. It's harmless and easy to clean—"

"And the gahmiberry is perfect!" Maddox's eyes gleamed. She let out a cackle worthy of the wicked witch of the west. "Don't worry, I'll tell her it was all me."

Peter shook his head. "I don't think that's a good idea."

"I don't care, I'm doing it anyway," Maddox replied, and bounded off.

Groot tilted his head. "I am Groot?"

Peter turned to him. "Yes, you're very beautiful."

Groot beamed and settled back into the pilot's chair.

After he and Maddox papered Gamora's bunk, they hid Groot's favourite treats in one of the air vents, and went to the supply closet, stacking everything inside very carefully, so it wold all come crashing out the moment somebody opened the door.

"It's nice to have a partner in crime for this sort of thing," Maddox said as she balanced the broom under a stack of linens. "Mom's always been too serious to play like this."

Peter shrugged, carefully closing the door while Maddox held the trap in place. She withdrew her hands at the last second. "Maddox, your mom's had a really hard life. And it's not like she can ever let her guard down, you know. You can't possibly see everything bad that could happened."

Maddox nodded slowly. "That's true. I only ever see when Thanos is closing in on us. We've had some close calls with people who aren't connected to Thanos but still want revenge on her. But what's the point of living if you can't have fun? I mean, I get it. She worries. But if all you do is worry, then why bother? Everybody needs to have fun."

Peter put a hand on her shoulder. "Hey. Your mom's a tough lady. I don't think you need to worry about her having fun. People have fun in different ways, and she's never been one to wear her emotions on her sleeve."

"I know that." Maddox turned and began walking away. "Peter, if she hadn't left the Guardians, do you think we would have made a happy family?"

Peter followed her. "I don't know. I can hardly remember the man I was back then. It's been so long and so much has happened since then. I'd like to think we would have been, but the truth is I have no idea."

"But we would have been safer, right? I mean, Mom and I have always had to run constantly. I've never lived a full year in one place. It's never really bothered me until recently. It's just hard, you know. Not having roots. Mom's my only foundation, and she's going to die eventually."

Peter's stomach cramped. "Is she sick?"

Maddox glanced up at him, brow furrowed. "No. But everybody gets old."

Relief washed over him, and all he could do was nod and choke out an agreement.

Maddox was silent for a moment, then took a deep breath. "Peter, if I tell you something, will you promise not to tell Mom?"

He nodded. Whatever it was, he wanted his daughter to trust him.

"Mom thinks I have only eve had visions connected to Thanos. But it's not true. Every once in a while, I've seen you, too. I never told Mom, because she thinks my visions are because Thanos did something to her that passed on to me, but the fact that I have seen you in my visions… well, I just don't think it's Thanos. I think I see him because he's somehow connected to it, but he's not the cause. Or maybe it's just wishful thinking."

Peter squeezed her shoulder. "Hey, whatever causes the visions, it doesn't matter. If it's because of Thanos, then it doesn't matter. It's not like he's using them to track you, right?"

Maddox's head jerked up, eyes widening. She stared at him for a long moment, then turned on her heel and darted up the way they had come. "MOM!"

Peter cursed. Obviously that was the wrong thing to say! He ran after her. By the time he had caught up, Maddox was clutching Gamora's arms, rapidly telling her what Peter had just suggested could _not_ be true. Gamora listened patiently, then hugged her daughter and shook her head.

"No, sweetie. Thanos can't be connected to you telepathically, and he can't be using your visions to track us. I looked into that years ago. It's just not possible."

Maddox let out a shaky breath and pulled away from Gamora. "Look at this, me overreacting again. I'm a mess." She straightened her jacket and ran a hand through her hair. "I'm better now. It's all good. All good."

"I'm sorry," Peter said. "I didn't mean to worry you."

Maddox grinned at him. "Who's worried? Not possible, so there's no point in being worried."

Peter frowned. He was about to say something when Groot entered the room. He grinned at the three of them, and quickly plunked messily made flower crowns on their heads.

"I am Groot!"

#

Gamora unwrapped the present Peter had given her while they all sat in a circle. Groot had insisted on a full-blown Christmas-inspired party, and so they had scrambled to put together what they could to satisfy him. Her present was wrapped in old rags. When she opened it, she found one of her daggers. Groot gasped and clapped his hands.

"I am Groot!"

"Yes, it's a beautiful present," Gamora said, guessing what he meant. "Thank you, Peter. I'll treasure it always."

Groot was too busy poking at the rags, trying to find his present, to notice the sarcasm dripping from Gamora's voice. At least, that was what Gamora assumed. She really didn't know, since Groot's vocabulary hadn't improved any.

"Your welcome." Peter grinned back at her.

"Very thoughtful," Maddox said, her voice a little nasty. "I can tell you put a lot of effort into that one."

Peter shrugged. "Hey, we threw this together on short notice."

Maddox echoed the shrug. "I'm going to get our… what is it called?"

"Turkey."

"Yeah." She stood. "The dead bird."

Gamora smiled in appreciation as Maddox left the room. Groot had picked his present and they all took a few moments to ooh and aaah over it, before Peter leaned in towards Gamora.

"Do I get a present?"

"Yes." Gamora grabbed a random object from the pile of wrapped presents and handed it to him. "This is my present to you. From the bottom of my heart."

Groot leaned in. "I am Groot!"

Peter pushed at him. "I'm excited to see what it is, too, but you have to give me some space, buddy."

Groot sat back. Peter pulled an expression of upmost seriousness as he slowly unwrapped the present, one layer at a time. When he was done, the last rag fell away. Gamora's heart jumped. What she had accidently given Peter was a picture of her and Maddox. It was one of the few she owned. This one had been taken when Maddox was just hitting puberty, and they two of them were at the white waterfalls on Keair Sigma.

Peter looked at the picture, then up at Gamora. "You know, if you don't want me to have it—"

"No," Gamora interrupted. She managed a shaky smile. "No, I want you to have it, Peter. Keep it."

He set the picture down in front of himself, and stared down for a moment. When he looked up, he met her eye and nodded. "Thank you. I mean it. This is… the best Christmas I've ever had."

Gamora smiled back at him, but cleared her throat and looked away.

"Maddox?" she called. "I have a present for you."

Maddox slipped into her room. Her face was white, and she silently sat down next to Gamora and leaned against her. Gamora's heart pounded. Another vision.

"What is it?" she asked. ''What did you see?"

Maddox looked up at her and bit her lip. "Drax."


	6. Chapter 5

Peter checked his weapon as Nebula piloted the Milano onto the planet where they guessed Drax was. Maddox hadn't been able to give them many details about what was around him, but the purple trees and large butterflies flittering around narrowed the location down to three possible planets. The first one they had visited was a bust.

As soon as they landed and the little gang exited the ship, Maddox nodded.

"This is it. This is the planet."

Peter glanced around. The trees were as big as the old oak in his grandfather's backyard on Terra, and they had long, narrow leaves in a brilliant violet hue that were laced at the edges. The trunks were a horrible blue that clashed with the purple of the leaves. Huge butterflies the size of his head slowly drifted in the breeze with only a lazy flap of the wings every now and then. They were mostly black or dark brown, which was odd considering the vibrant hues of the vegetation.

The quartet cautiously moved forward, Peter with a gun in his hand, Groot bristling with sharp twigs, bulking up as they walked, Gamora clutching a knife in each hand, and Maddox toying with a blaster at her hip.

"So where is he?" Peter asked in a mutter, eyes darting around. It appeared like the planet was totally deserted, but they knew from Maddox's vision that that wasn't the case. The silence gave him the creeps, and the hair on the back of his neck stood up.

"I…" Maddox stopped and looked around. "This way, I think."

"I am Groot?"

Peter nodded his agreement. "That doesn't give me much confidence, either."

Maddox turned a glare on him. "Hey, next time you have the cryptic vision and then I can pick on you for not getting a clearer look. It's not like I get perfectly formed pictures in my head, you know. They come in bursts and gasps and it's often more annoying than helpful."

Gamora put a hand on her shoulder. "Peter's just being a jerk because he's nervous."

"I'm not being a jerk," Peter protested. "I'm just—"

Gamora's lips twitched upwards and he realised she had been teasing him. He flushed and fell silent. Maddox looked between her parents and grinned widely before wiping it off her face and leading them forward. Despite Peter's nerves, he was glad for this moment. Who knew when they'd be able to have one again.

"So, in case we all die in this mission thing," Peter said, his voice falling into an oddly stiff cadence – drat! Why was he so nervous? – "Gamora, I just wanted you to know that I'm not over you lying to me, but I think I understand why you did, and I'm not angry about it anymore. I mean, I'm still hurt but it's progress. And if we don't die here, I think that you two and Nebula should stick around. I mean, if you want to, you're welcome to. I think it would be good, and I really want to get to know you better."

Gamora stopped walking. She focused on him, frowning. Her greying hair tumbled about her shoulders, and the fine lines at her eyes seemed more pronounced. Peter really couldn't think of a time she had looked more beautiful, and it was probably because of the words she spoke next. "I would like that, Peter. I would like that very much."

Before he could answer, Groot poked him in the back. "I am Groot?"

"If he's saying save the mushy stuff until we find Drax and get out of here, I'm with him," Maddox said, even though she was beaming. "Besides, we're not going to die."

"As long as your vision happens the way you saw it," Gamora agreed. "But things don't always work out that way."

Maddox waved her hand. "The three of you just have to do what I told you to do, and we'll be fine, Mom. Now let's get a move on, please, before something goes wrong."

The group fell silent and started moving again. It wasn't long before they got to a small village. The inhabitants, lanky beings with vivid yellow skin and curling antennae growing from their shoulders and down their backs, dropped to all fours and scattered as the four walked in.

Peter glanced at Maddox for their next move. She bit her lip, head swiveling to look in every direction. Eventually she nodded. Within a few minutes, they were at some sort of village square. It was completely deserted, except for a pillory that stood on a raised platform.

In the pillory was Drax. He knelt, hands hanging limply from the holes, and his head fallen as far as it could. He was shirtless, and from what Peter could see of his torso, it was criss-crossed both with fresh red welts and long-healed ridges of scars, protruding from his skin and tattoos like a distorted carving in stone.

"I am Groot!" Groot cried, rushing forward.

Gamora and Peter both took up protective stances, Maddox drawing her blaster as her eyes darted around. Sweat broke out from her forehead. "Any moment now," she whispered.

Groot ripped the pillory apart and put an arm around Drax, helping him stand. The tree's eyes were drawn in sorrow, mouth pulled down. "I am Groot?"

Peter winced at Groot's tone.

"Groot?" Drax's voice was raspy.

Groot began to haul Drax back towards them. Peter tightened his grip on his gun. Any moment now.

When Groot and Drax were only ten feet away, Drax suddenly regained all his strength. He pushed Groot away, drawing a weapon. With a roar he fired at Peter, but Gamora was too quick; she hurled one of her knives; it sunk into Drax's arm. With a yell he released the weapon

Peter and Maddox pointed their weapons at Drax as Groot hurried back to the group.

"Kay, Drax, see, that wasn't nice," Peter said, trying to keep his tone even, bored even. "Why'd you want to kill me?"

"My master gave me an order." Drax pulled the knife from his arm and clutched at the wound. Blood burbled from between his fingers. "After all you have done to me, Quill, I was happy to accept the command."

"All I did for you?" Peter asked, gaping. "What did I ever do to you but be your friend?"

"Never mind that, what master do you serve?" Gamora demanded. "Thanos?"

Drax's gaze turned to her. "The Titan, yes. You were foolish to turn from him, Gamora. His power and magnificence has to bounds. The universe is his, and we only live to serve him. Those who do not must be destroyed, for the sake of us all."

Peter swallowed. His heart pounded. If he had only stopped Drax when he left, all those years ago… "Okay, buddy, but we were friends, remember? Besides, what about what Thanos did to you? Your wife and daughter. Ronan killed them under Thanos's orders. You can't tell me you're okay with that."

Drax paced from side to side, allowing the group to see even more vivid scars on his body. He glared at Peter. "My wife?" he spat. "My daughter? Ronan acted out of Thanos's commands when he took them from me. But you always wanted me to think that it was the Titan who killed them, in essence if not in person. You, a liar, the son of a liar."

Peter's brow furrowed. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"My wife was murdered by Ronan, but I got my revenge on him. But my daughter, my Kamaria…"

A voice spoke behind them. "I was spared by Thanos, and he raised me, cared for me, and trained for me."

Peter turned to see a woman standing behind them. She had a knife in each hand. Her skin was grey and tattooed, like Drax's. Just a glance at her face showed features so similar to Drax's that there could be no doubt that they were related.

"Moondragon," Gamora said. "I see Thanos has let you out of his cage. And for what? To be Drax's handler, to make sure whatever Thanos did to brainwash him doesn't wear off?"

Kamaria smirked. "Jealous that the Titan found a new favourite? My father and I make an excellent team, and Thanos sees how effective we are. If you were going to survive today, then you'd soon learn of the reputation we will build together. Right, Father?"

"Indeed," Drax said, and his chest swelled with pride. "We will become Thanos's finest warriors, and we will destroy all this enemies, starting with you."

Thanos's servants wasted no more time with words. Both rushed the group as one. Groot jumped at Kamaria and struck at her with one of his giant hands; the assassin easily avoided him, tossing something at the tree. Fire erupted from his body moments later.

"Groot!" Peter shouted, but had no time to give him any instructions. Drax rammed into him, sending him to the ground. Maddox shot at him, but missed; Drax rolled off Peter and lunged for her. Off to the side, Gamora and Kamaria battled.

Peter jumped to his feet, raising his own weapon as Drax disarmed Maddox and snapped her blaster in half. Maddox sent two quick punches to his gut and chest, but that hardly seemed to phase him. He punched her hard in the chest, causing her to double over. Peter fired, hitting Drax in the shoulder, but in the next moment Drax had taken the weapon from him as well. Grasping Peter by the throat, he hoisted him into the air and punched him multiples times in the gut. Pain exploded; white and black spots swam in his vision. He kicked, hitting Drax between the legs.

Drax dropped him, howling. He lay on the ground, gasping. His lungs couldn't seem to draw in breath. Maddox had recovered by this time, and she grabbed a large rock. Bringing it over Drax's head, she caused him to stumble. She darted past him, reaching for Peter's gun. Drax grabbed her around the neck. The crook of his elbow crushed around her throat. He grinned at Peter.

"I love the sound when I break their necks," he growled.

Peter opened his mouth.

"MADDOX!"

He turned his head to see Gamora released a bloody Kamaria. His heart jumped to his throat. No—

Kamaria rose the instant she was dropped, a blade flashing as it struck out. Peter couldn't even cry out a warning as the blade pieced Gamora's ribs. Drax roared in approval, praising his daughter, as Gamora dropped.

Kamaria limped closer to them. Groot was laying some distance away, the flames out, but he still smoldered. He didn't move.

"The master will be pleased with us," she rasped. "Now all we have to do is kill Star Lord and the girl—"

"Drax," Peter gasped, forcing his lungs to work. Maddox's face was turning blue. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head and she went limp. "Drax, she's my daughter. Please…"

Something flickered in Drax's eyes. He released Maddox, dropping her to the ground. His gaze never moved from Peter's face. Kamaria knelt beside Maddox. The knife she had stabbed Gamora with dripped blood onto Maddox's face.

"Still breathing. She's alive, Star Lord." Kamaria retrieved his gun and gazed at him coldly. "Be thankful that the Titan only wanted you and Gamora dead. I think it will be very pleasant to have this little girl trying to hunt me and my father in the future. It will add a little spice to life, won't it, Father?"

Drax grunted, nodding. Kamaria smirked as she raised the gun, pointing it at Peter's chest. He closed his eyes, and didn't see her pull the trigger. A blast hit his chest, knocking the wind out of him. White splotches burst across his vision and the collapsed into the dust. He struggled to draw in a breath, and the white turned to black.


	7. Chapter 6

Maddox crawled over the violet-hued earth, gasping. Her throat felt like it had been crushed, every breath that she drew painful. She grasped Peter's jacket and shook him.

"They're gone."

Peter cracked open an eye, and quickly got to his feet. He reached into his pocket, turning off the hologram that made it appear that half of his chest had been blown away, and helped Maddox to her feet. They grinned at each other.

"I think they bought it," Maddox said. "What about you, Mom?"

There was no answer. Maddox turned to see Groot, shaking ash from his body, pick up Gamora. Her normally green skin was a pasty blue, and she hung limply in Groot's arms. Maddox's heart jumped to her throat, but she forced herself to stay calm. She had seen the four of them perfectly alright after this attack. Her mother was injured, but it would not be fatal.

"Gamora," Peter rasped, moving quickly to her.

Maddox followed. She felt ill at the sight of the blood staining her mother's clothing. "We need to get back to the Milano."

The three took off at a run, Groot carrying Gamora. He outstripped them easily. By the time Maddox and Peter got there, he had already laid Gamora in a bed, and was fretting over her, splashing her face with water and squeezing her hand. Peter gently pushed Groot away from her and checked her vitals. Maddox watched, twisting her hands.

"She's going to be alright," she said, her voice sounding oddly high-pitched. "I saw it."

"Then get the med kit," Peter ordered, his voice tense. "She's not doing well."

Nebula's voice spoke. "Not well at all."

Maddox turned to the screen that had just flickered to life. "Aunt Neb. I saw that she was alright!"

"You might not seen what you thought you saw," Nebula replied. "I've been doing scans since Groot brought Gamora on board. Her body is failing her, and there is nothing you can do. Not only were essential organs punctured, some sort of poison is sweeping through her body. I give her maybe an hour with the right precautions."

Maddox cried out, covering her mouth with both of her hands. Peter instinctively wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close.

"It's not your fault, Maddox."

"Then whose fault is it?"

Nebula cleared her throat. "If you would let me finish!"

Peter snarled. "What is there more to say? Gamora is dying—"

"But she doesn't have to die." Nebula's black eyes narrowed. "Not if you do as I say."

Maddox's heart leapt. She pushed away from her father and pressed her hands to the screen. "How? Tell me how!"

"Peter, you stay with Gamora and administer adrenaline. Give her a unit every five minutes. It will stop the poison from killing her."

"That much adrenaline might do the trick itself," Peter argued.

"She's got less than fifteen minutes if you don't," Nebula snapped back. "Now do as I say. Maddox, Groot, come with me to Gamora's ship."

The screen blacked out, and Maddox ran to the connecting ship, her heart in her throat. Whatever Nebula was planning, it would work. It would work, because she knew it would work. It had to. It would.

Maddox shoved the confusing thoughts out of her head as she emerged into the cockpit of her mother's ship. She glanced around as Groot squeezed through the small space. "Aunt Neb?"

Nebula's face flickered into the screen. "You remember how your mom and me rigged up the cables, allowing my consciousness to transfer into the ship?"

Maddox tried to remember. "No. I was too young."

"I didn't think you would," Nebula said, nodding. "There is a box under your mother's bed. I'll talk you through the process."

With a nod, Maddox dashed to the sleeping quarters she and her mother shared when they were in space. Hurriedly, she dropped to her knees at her mother's bed and pulled out an old, dusty box. After getting confirmation from Nebula that it was the right box, she opened it to find something that looked like an archaic torture device. It was all twisting cables that ended in couplings on one end, and a series of small cups and screws on the other.

When Maddox got back to Peter, Gamora's face was nearly white. Peter was injecting a small needle into her arm, his face creased with worry. He hardly seemed to notice Maddox had returned.

"Okay, follow my instructions exactly," Nebula said, and Maddox nodded.

Her hands trembled, but she was able to attach the cables into the circuitry of the ship. She kept telling herself that her mother would be alright. It was the only way she was able to attach the suction cups to her mother's head, and to dig the screws into her skull and circuitry.

"Is this going to enhance her healing abilities?" Maddox asked, dabbing at a bit of blood that ran from where one of the screws twisted into Gamora's head.

"No," Nebula replied. "It's far too late for that."

Maddox froze. She looked up, and her eyes met Nebula's virtual ones. Her hands shook. "Then what is this for?" she rasped.

"Your mother's body is beyond help, but her mind isn't. Now hurry and finish."

Peter injected Gamora with another needle of adrenaline. "You think you can put Gamora's consciousness into the ship?"

"Like, you could have this our old and she could have the Milano?" Maddox asked, putting in the last of the screws. "That's not what I saw! I know she was with us, walking with us. We were in a garden, and she hit you," she looked at Peter, "for saying something raunchy. That's what I saw."

Peter grasped her shoulders. "And you also said your visions aren't always the clearest. We have to do what we have to do." He turned to Nebula. "What now?"

"Stand back," Nebula warned them.

Peter drew Maddox back, keeping a comforting and protecting arm around her. Maddox fought the burning in her eyes, watching her mother's still form. She had wanted for so many years to be with her dad, but never at the price of her mother.

 _Work,_ she prayed, to every god and goddess that she had heard of. _Work_.

The screen of Nebula's face went blank. For several long moment, nothing happened. Maddox's heart was in her throat, and she clung to Peter. She didn't know if she'd have the strength to stand if this didn't work. If she lost her mother. _And it's my fault._

Gamora's body arched suddenly. Her spine lifted, creating a bow, while her arms flung out to either side. Her eyes opened wide and she gasped – and then nothing. She fell back down, jaw hung slack, eyes glazed over. Maddox cried out, and Peter turned her head away, cradling her to his chest. He whispered in her ear, but she couldn't make out the words.

"Maddox?" Gamora's voice sounded sleepy and confused.

Maddox turned. She looked around wildly, before focusing on the screen over her mother's dead body. "Mom?"

The screen flickered, and Gamora's face appeared. Maddox pushed away from Peter and rushed to it. She pressed her hands against the wall and laughed. "Mom! It worked. Are you alright?"

Gamora's expression was dazed, but she nodded. "I think so."

"It worked, and that's the important thing," Maddox said. She laughed again and kissed the screen. "I'll go tell Aunt Neb."

"Maddox…" Gamora said slowly, but Maddox just promised that she would be back, and took off.

"Aunt Neb," she called as she rushed into her mother's ship. "It worked!"

There was no answer.

"Aunt Neb?" Maddox wrapped her arms around herself and slowly made her way to the cockpit. There, she found Groot sitting on the floor, growing small white flowers out of his arms and plucking them. He then pulled the blossoms off, and put them on the floor. "What are you doing?" Maddox demanded.

Groot looked up at her. He gestured at his flowers. As Maddox drew closer, she read the word on the floor. _Nebula_.

#

Nebula had left a goodbye message. Just a single message, telling Maddox that it wasn't her fault, that she was getting fed up living as a ship. She also told them that she had been putting together a new body, grown from cells she harvested from injuries. She had cultivated them, grown them, and supplemented the results with technology she'd managed to gather. This new body was being grown in the engine room, where neither Gamora nor Maddox ever went, and where the self-care robots had given Nebula the appendages needed to build her new body.

There wasn't any certainty it would work, she had warned at the end of her message. In fact, chances were it wouldn't work. But she thought, just in case they wanted to try.

Gamora had decided to try; they didn't know if the ships could keep all her memories intact, or if she wold lose them like Nebula did. Besides that, if they were going to stick to the plan, and have Thanos think that she and Peter were dead, they needed to abandon the Milano. She argued if they didn't try this, Thanos would just keep coming after them until they were dead, which would defeat the whole purpose.

Peter hadn't been able to bring himself to argue, and now it was the moment of truth. He and Maddox waited outside the engine room. Sweat made his shirt cling to the hollow of his back, but he ignored it.

When the doors opened, his heart nearly stopped. Out stepped a woman that looked as different from Gamora as he looked from Groot.

Her long, dark hair had been replaced by a short bob that was a pale pink colour. Her skin, rather than being green, was more similar to his own. Instead of being tall and thin, she was short, probably only five feet tall, and plump. Her shoulders were broader. But her eyes were the same dark brown eyes he knew, and he smiled at her.

"Gamora?"

She nodded. "I suppose this means it worked." Her gaze focused on Maddox, and she managed a small smile. "Well? How do I look?"

Maddox's voice was small. "Different."

"You do, too," Gamora replied.

Peter glanced at his daughter. In order to stay hidden the best they could, they had decided to change how they looked. At the moment all they'd been able to do was tattoo themselves, but the difference was striking. Maddox's pale green skin was marked in dark symbols, giving her a mottled appearance that made her features difficult to distinguish. Peter caught sight of his hand. He had gone with red markings, in honor of Drax, or who Drax had been, and the change still surprised him. He had also gone bald, but Maddox had opted to keep hers, for now.

"I am Groot!"

The only one who hadn't changed, so far, ran to Gamora. He lifted her into the air and spun in a circle.

"We're all happy that she's alive," Peter said, grinning. "But maybe you should put her down."

Groot did so, grinning like a fool. He presented a flower to Gamora, and she took it and smiled.

"Well," Peter said, shifting. "We're already packed to go, and Maddox has, ah, arranged an alternative transport."

He thought about all the times he had on the Milano, and nodded. He would miss that ship. He'd miss it a lot more than he wanted to let on. Ever since he had turned seventeen and Yondu had given it to him, it had been his home.

 _Well,_ he thought as the motley crew put on their packs and walked away. _Guess it's just time to get a new home._

Maddox put herself between him and Gamora, and she slipped a hand into theirs. Peter squeezed, and she squeezed back. Looking over her head at Gamora, he found those familiar dark eyes in that unfamiliar face looking back at him. She smiled, and he smiled back.

 _A new home, and a new family._


	8. Epilogue

Maddox sat in the cockpit of the ship that was her only connection to the worlds she had grown up on. It had been three years since she and her parents had encountered Drax and finally freed themselves of Thanos's shadow. In that time, they had found a nice, sparsely habited planet to live on. Now they had a nice patch of land that they farmed for food and money, and none of them talked about the stars. Gamora and Maddox lived in a separate house from Peter and Groot, but given the sleepovers her parents were having lately, Maddox figured that would soon change.

She hadn't had any visions since they arrived. It was a relief, knowing that Thanos wasn't after them, but at the same time it was an eerie feeling, not knowing the future.

Maddox was brought out of her musings when the comm unit dinged. She answered it. Hopefully her contact had more information than the last time they had spoken.

"Nadine," the man who called himself Pyreus greeted her. "You are well, I take it?"

"Yes. Do you have any news?"

Pyreus nodded. "I have a promising lead. That DNA sample you gave me has been most helpful. I now suspect that the individual you are looking for is a Titan."

Maddox repressed a shiver. She had been searching for her grandfather, Peter's father, for two years now. She knew it was a risk, and that was why she hadn't told either of her parents. She had taken a DNA sample of Peter, and did her own tests to weed out the human portion, then sent the leftovers to somebody she remembered her mother talking about. Her gut told her he was trustworthy.

"A Titan. Well, I suppose that makes sense," Maddox said. Titans all had some sort of powers, so it made sense if her visions came from her Titan DNA. It also explained why she only ever had visions of Peter, who also had Titan DNA, and Thanos, a Titan.

"It might be dangerous to pursue this line of investigation," Pyreus warned.

"I will give you a little extra," Maddox promised, then severed the connection. She had already gone a few seconds over her allotted contact time.

Maddox sat still for a moment. She couldn't explain why, but she knew it was important that she find out who her father's father was.

She checked the time, and her heart jumped. She was late! Quickly she left the ship, running back to the farm. Her parents and Groot were already working, picking small paro fruits from green-leafed bushes. None of them commented on her lateness, although Groot, with a proud "I am Groot" told her that he had picked more than Peter and Gamora combined.

"Maddox," Gamora said, straightening. "Can you take yesterday's crop to town?"

"You don't want me to help pick?"

Peter stiffly stood. "Nah. You've been working hard lately. You need some time off."

Maddox grinned. "I'll be back before dark."

She took off, loading up the ancient, battered hovertruck with the previous day's crop. As she pulled out of the farm and onto the road, she popped in the custom-made cassette tape Peter had made her. The song he called "Hooked on a Feeling" started blaring, and she drove off, singing along with the music. Life was good.


End file.
